2024-01-20 19:05:09
Published20. January 2024, 8:05 p.m
Karolinska Institute: Hypochondriacs die earlier
One might think that people with hypochondria live longer. After all, they worry about their health. But according to a Swedish study, the opposite is the case.
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Harmless or serious? According to Swedish researchers, those who worry excessively about their health die on average five years earlier than those who do not have such worries.
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The researchers observed both natural and non-natural causes of death in the hypochondriacs.
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In particular, the risk of dying from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases was increased.
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People who are very worried about their health die on average five years earlier than those without this fear.
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This is the result of a study from Sweden.
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The result applies to people diagnosed with hypochondriacal disorder, not to everyday hypochondriacs.
Hypochondriacs always keep an eye on their body and tend to interpret harmless symptoms as signs of a serious illness. A little flatulence quickly turns into appendicitis and the sore muscles in the leg become a thrombosis. This can be frightening – and apparently lead to them living less long than people who are less concerned about their health.
This is the conclusion reached by researchers from Sweden. Their study found that people with hypochondriacal disorder (see box) die on average five years earlier than those who live a more relaxed life.
Hypochondriac disorder?
A hypochondriacal disorder is a psychosomatic illness characterized by unfounded fear of physical illness, increased introspection and overvaluation of body perceptions. The term hypochondria was used until 2023.
The general fear of illness can also occur in mentally healthy people. While these everyday hypochondriacs are reassured when a doctor clarifies certain symptoms and does not diagnose a particular illness, people with a hypochondriacal disorder find it difficult to live with the uncertainty that a clear cause cannot always be found for every physical symptom.
This was investigated
The team led by David Mataix-Cols from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and Lund University compared the health and death data of 4,129 patients diagnosed with hypochondriacal disorder with 41,290 people without hypochondriac disorder. The researchers made sure that the people were of comparable age and similar living conditions. The data covered a period of 24 years.
This is what came out of it
A total of 2029 people died in the period examined. 268 people were diagnosed hypochondriacs. The remaining 1761 people belonged to the control group. The evaluation showed that hypochondriacs died on average at the age of 70, while those without a hypochondriacal disorder only died at the age of 75.
This is what killed the hypochondriacs
The researchers observed both natural and non-natural causes of death in the hypochondriacs. In particular, the risk of dying from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases was increased. The risk of dying from cancer, however, was similar to that of the people in the control group. In addition, in the study, the risk of suicide for people with the diagnosis was four times higher than for non-hypochondriacs.
This is how the researchers explain the result
Mataix-Cols’ team has not investigated why hypochondriacs are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. But the researchers suspect that those affected are often stressed out because of their worries. In the long term, the increased stress could impair the immune system and cause chronic inflammation. The constant worry could also lead them to consume alcohol or nicotine, which poses additional risks for the cardiovascular system.
Back in 2016, a Norwegian study showed that hypochondriacs have a 70 percent higher risk of heart disease.
The pronounced fear of illness can also lead to them going to the doctor more often and becoming even more preoccupied with illnesses or to them avoiding doctor’s visits altogether out of fear of a diagnosis. Some even remove themselves from the medical system entirely, which can result in serious illnesses being diagnosed late or not at all.
Hypochondriacs with a diagnosis can be helped
The findings of the Swedish researchers do not relate to everyday hypochondriacs, but to those with a pronounced anxiety disorder. However, this can be treated, for example with cognitive behavioral therapy or various relaxation techniques. Antidepressants can sometimes also help.
The study was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
Everyday hypochondriacs live longer
In 2017, Scottish researchers painted a different picture for everyday hypochondriacs: According to their study, they have an eight percent lower risk of dying from heart, respiratory diseases or cancer compared to a control group. This is because their increased alertness to symptoms meant they went to the doctor earlier and thus received a diagnosis earlier.
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